Greek Dictionary

Bid: A formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority. The specific format of the bid may vary from chapter to chapter.

Big Brother/Big Sister: An active member assigned to be the personal mentor for a new member.

Chapter: A membership unit of a national or international fraternity or sorority.

Charter: Documentation that an individual chapter is recognized and operated according to thenational fraternity/sorority.

Fraternity: A group of men or women who are bound together by ritual ties, beliefs, and common goals.

Interfraternity Council (IFC): The representative governing body of all men’s NIC Fraternities at Kettering.

Initiation: A traditional ritual that brings the pledge/associate/new member into full membership of the fraternity or sorority.

Intake: The membership recruitment and induction process for the NPHC Organizations on campus.

Legacy: Someone who’s mother, father, sister or brother is a member of a particular Greek-Letter organization.

Line/Class: A term sometimes used by various culturally based Greek organizations (NPHC) to refer to the members who joined in the same term.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The representative governing body for the nine traditionally African American fraternities and sororities.

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): A conference body composed of 26 national women’s fraternities, each of which is autonomous as a social, Greek-Letter society of college women, undergraduates and alumnae.

North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC): The governing body for the 68 collegiate general fraternities.

Panhellenic Council: The representative governing body of all NPC affiliated and local sororities at Kettering University.

Probate: A potential member going through the intake process (NPHC)

Intent Card (Green Card): A Kettering University specific card which PNMs or Rushees must complete and return to the Greek Life office, before pledging/associating with any fraternity or sorority on campus.

Recruitment/Rush: The designated time period during the term when fraternities and sororities hold events to recruit new members.

Rushee or PNM (Potential New Member): A student who has not received a bid or otherwise affiliated with any one particular fraternity or sorority.

Pledge/Associate/New Member: An uninitiated member of a fraternity or sorority, who has received and accepted a bid, and therefore is affiliated with a particular group, but has not attained full membership status yet.

Ritual: The secret tradition that ties together the beliefs and standards of a Greek- Letter organization.

Sorority: A Greek-letter Organization specifically for women (also referred to as a fraternity in some cases).